Timex evolved from three notable 19th-century clockmakers: the Waterbury Clock Company, the Waterbury Watch Company, founded in 1880, and Robert H. Ingersoll and Brothers, also an international manufacturer and marketer of pocket watches since 1881.

Waterbury became known as the “Switzerland of America” during the 19th century. Its sister company, Waterbury Watch, manufactured the first inexpensive pocket watch in 1880.

By World War I, Waterbury began making wristwatches, which were just then becoming popular. In the 1930s, Waterbury became known for creating the first Mickey Mouse clock with Mickey’s hands pointing to the time.

During World War II, Waterbury Clock became U.S. Time Company and following the war, in 1950, it introduced the Timex wristwatch. At first, jewelers resisted carrying the watch because of its low 50 percent mark-up, as other brands offered 100 percent mark-ups. U.S. Time Co. then went elsewhere with its watches, setting up displays in drugstores, department stores, and cigar stands — mechanical displays that dunked a ticking watch into water and banged it with a hammer. Then the company began its magazine advertising, stressing its product’s durability, shock resistance, and waterproofing. Consumers soon began buying the watches. By 1951, the company had produced almost 2 million, gaining an 18 percent share of the low-priced U.S. wristwatch market.

The first Timex watches rolled off the assembly line in 1949 and soon became known for their dependability. In1952-54, the company began a more focused advertising campaign, first with print ads using the torture tests. Shortly thereafter, in 1956, it teamed up with spokesman John Cameron Swayze to do TV advertising, and sales took off. The company later became the Timex Corporation, then the Timex Group. To date, Timex has sold over one billion watches. But it was in the 1950s that the brand established itself, and in no small part due to its celebrity-assisted, “torture test” advertising, using the famous line, “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”

John Cameron Swayze Advertising Campaign

John Cameron Swayze

What made Timex watches so durable was their design and inner workings. Technically, the watch employed a special escapement which had a cone-shaped balance staff that rotated in bearings made of a very hard alloy called “Armalloy.” The balance staff is the most delicate component in a watch, the part most likely to be displaced by a jolt. Timex made theirs sturdier, which greatly enhanced the watch’s shock-resistance. In addition, the Timex movement had fewer parts than other watches, making it even more durable. The Timex watch was also priced right — with 1950s prices ranging initially from $6.75 to $7.95, then $9.95 to $12.95. And the watches kept reasonably good time, off only by a minute or two a day, according to one 1950s’ estimate. Consumers loved them, and they snapped them up in the millions.

One version of the Rocky Marciano ad appeared in the Saturday Evening Post of June 1954. Marciano was then the World Heavyweight Boxing Champ. In the ad, the headline and text ran as follows:The Watch ‘The Rock’ Couldn’t Stop!

Then in 1956, Timex moved its torture-test advertising campaign to television, teaming up with John Cameron Swayze.

“It Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking”

Among other tortures that Timex watches endured and survived in these demonstrations were the following: being placed in a paint mixer, frozen in an ice cube tray, spun in a vacuum cleaner, placed on the leg of a race horse, attached to ice skater’s boot above the blade (see video above ), tossed over the Grand Coulee Dam, attached to an archer’s arrow tip that was shot through a pane of glass, attached to the blade of an outboard motor, strapped to a tackle line and cast off a deep-sea fishing boat, attached to the pontoon of a plane that landed on water in Hawaii, and swallowed by a farmer’s cow in Texas. However, there was one reported incident of an elephant crushing a Timex — a board with a Timex affixed to its underside, then stood upon by the elephant in a one-leg pose.

Mickey Mantle

Timex, meanwhile, continued to do well in sales, and was soon at the top of the U.S. and world markets. By 1963, nearly half the watches sold in the U.S. were from Timex. By 1967, it was the world’s best-selling watch brand.

Next time we look at Timex as it moves into digital watches in the 1980’s

16 Comments

Mike Graves

David Capstick

I took a brand new Timex Automatic with me when Uncle Sam sent me to South Korea – DMZ in 1968-69. Within three months the Timex watch stopped and when I got the back opened it was green inside. Guess Timex hadn’t planned on monsoons and rice paddy water. When I got back to a PX I purchased an $18.00 Seiko automatic and still have that watch today and it is still keeping great time. It has been cleaned and oiled several times but it certainly stood up to the humidity, rice paddy water and spring/fall monsoons of South Korea in the Injim River valley. In this case the Timex took the licking but died and ticked no more.

Jack Dee

Johnny McLain

Harold

I have had Timex watches in the past. I recently sold a Timex that had 21jewels and was a hand winding mov’t. I currently have a Timex men’s watch that is in automatic/hand wound from the 1960s and believe it or not, it keeps near perfect time. Its in dead mint condition. I know Timex watches generally carry a low value, and there movements are no where closely designed to the e`labore of a Swiss movement powered watch, but they do serve a purpose.

Dan Chiavaroli

David Capstick:Thank you for posting. I did not have a timex when I was on Phan Rang AB in Vietnam 67-68, but I also bought a Seiko day, date, automatic with a rectangular blue face from the base exchange. It has never been serviced but it keeps perfect time. I did not remember how much I paid for it, but will now assume it too was around $18. I was “slightly” thinner then, so now it is tight around my arm. Styles run in cycles. Last year I went to a family reunion one of my younger cousins had a rectangular blue face day date watch on. I said to him “I have a watch like that” His response was “it’s retro”. MINE IS BETTER. It has a history attached to it.

Steve

Thanks for the interesting Post!I had a few Timex watches.I also had one like Dan,A Navy buddy got it for me at the BX.The post brought back some memories. I remember the Timex adds on black and white TV…Haha.

LAMARR C EDWARDS

My first watch was a Timex my mom bought me at a drug store, I was 15. I put that sucker through hell, and it kept good enough time for me. I don’t remember what happened to it, now, that was over 50 years ago. I know it never stopped running though

Alex

Jack Dee

Timex’s were not built to be serviced. Even back in the day, the service would have cost more than the movement was worth. I believe they were riveted together so taking them apart for service was impossible and since they were not jeweled all the pivots would worn anyway. If a minute or two a day didn’t bother you (and remember you had to wind them every day anyway so spending another 5 seconds setting them to the correct time was no big deal) then they were “good enough” watches – good enough that half the people in America wore them.

Pat B

Rick

I saw the elephant commercial. It was genius. John Cameron Swayze does his usual patter, the elephant comes up, stands on the watch, and crushes it. The commercial fades to the Timex graphic and John Cameron Swayze. says “It worked during rehearsal.” But I have tried in vain to find the clip.

Charles Indelicato

Cidalia Santos

I have this ladys timex BA Cell 49. Assembled in Philippines. Looks a real gold strap with Hong Kong D.A on it. And little diamond on 12. I would like to more about it. But cant find any information. Thanks